1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to cabinets and more particularly to an apparatus for quickly coupling together two cabinets or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Different types of mechanisms have been proposed for coupling separable cabinets or members together.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,731,956 discloses a connector member for joining together adjacent parallel edges of two separate panels. The two adjacent panels are each provided with a plurality of linearly-aligned, headed bolts which form complementary locking pins. Each headed bolt has a head connected to a shaft. Disposed between the headed bolts on each panel are recesses which are adapted to receive the heads of the bolts from the other panel. The connector member is a substantially flat plate having keyhole slots placed in line with each other. All of the keyhole slots are pointed in the same direction, with each keyhole slot having a large portion and a narrow portion.
To secure the two adjacent panels together, the panels are disposed next to each other and the connector member is placed therebetween so that the headed bolts in each panel are in alignment with the large portions of associated keyhole slots in the connector member and also in alignment with the recesses in the other panel. The panels are moved toward each other such that the headed bolts on each panel are inserted through the large portions of associated keyhole slots on the connector member and into the associated recesses on the other panel. The connector member is then driven downwardly by any suitable means to force the narrow portions of all of the keyhole slots in the connector member to move downward onto the shafts of the headed bolts to lock the panels together.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,791,707 discloses an interlocking device for joining portable food service cabinets and the like in side-by-side relation while at the same time adjusting them to be in substantial vertical and horizontal alignment simply by pushing the cabinets together.
The device includes elongated male and female connector members adapted to be secured horizontally along opposed upper edge portions of the cabinets to be joined. The female connector member has an elongated recess along its length, while the male connector member has an elongated nose member along its length. Both of the female and male connector members are convergently beveled to the outside to serve as horizontal and vertical locating means upon interconnection of the device. A releasable latch mechanism is provided for locking the device in interconnection relation while at the same time providing for manual release for separating the cabinets.
Neither of the above-cited, prior art coupling mechanisms teaches or suggests a means for coupling two cabinets together by using two horizontally positioned coupling units diagonally located on two adjacent cabinets to lock the cabinets together by tilting the cabinets in unison in a scissors action to cause projections on the coupling units to respectively pass into enlarged portions of associated keyholes in the adjacent cabinets and then scissoring the cabinets in unison back to a vertical position to cause the projections on the coupling units to lock into narrow portions of the associated keyholes.